by David Denby
First published 1977
Michael Sterling sits at his typewriter in a cramped Manhattan apartment, staring at a blank page that mocks his literary dreams. The aspiring writer has spent three years crafting what he believes will be his breakthrough novel, only to watch rejection letters pile up on his desk. When his girlfriend Sarah threatens to leave unless he finds steady work, Michael faces a choice between abandoning his artistic vision and losing everything that matters to him. As bills mount and his confidence crumbles, he takes a job at a small publishing house where he encounters other writers who have made different compromises. Through late night conversations in smoky bars and brutal editorial meetings, Michael discovers that the path to artistic success demands sacrifices he never anticipated. The story explores the tension between creative integrity and practical survival in a world that seems indifferent to art.
Genres: american-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Manhattan, New York
Period: 21st-century
391 pages · Paperback · Vintage Books